St. Patrick's Day: The Irish for a Day and Irish Year-Round

By: Michelle Leach

Saturday, March 13 Bob McEniry will join others dressed in green berets, sweatshirts, sweaters, scarves, wigs -- some decked out in orange and green sashes and others holding Irish flags -- as part of the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Omaha.

"We always participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is held the Saturday before the holiday," McEniry said.

He participates in the parade as part of an organization, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, more specifically, the Sarpy County and Father Flanagan chapters of the AOH.

According to the organization's national Web site, AOH was founded in the 1830s in New York City. Its roots bleed green, going back to the Ireland of the 16th century. The organization was born from a need to protect the Catholic faith and Irish culture from religious persecution and discrimination, first experienced in one's homeland and later experienced in the "New World" as the Irish immigrated to America.

Today its aims and values are many, according to McEniry: friendship, unity, Christian charity, Irish culture, history, traditions, civic participation, loyalty to country, free religious practice by all faiths, peace and unity for Ireland -- through fundraising, supporting cultural events, charities, parishes, schools and troops.

"The St. Patrick's Day Parade is definitely the height of the year for all the Omaha-area AOH chapters," McEniry said.

The "St. Patrick" in the name of the parade McEniry and others are marching for actually was born with the name Patricius in Roman Britain, according to American Catholic.org. He is said to be privileged, the progeny of a relatively wealthy fifth century family. Patricius' good fortune ran out when he was 16.

He was kidnapped in a raid and taken to Ireland as a slave. He eventually escaped and returned to Britain, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. But while he was away, something had happened: Patricius became convinced that God had chosen him to convert the Irish, who were then practicing the indigenous Celtic religion, to Christianity.

Patricius left the country where he was born and returned to the country that had enslaved him to do just that.

By the time of his death, which is believed to be on March 17, the day we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, he was Saint Patrick, and he had established schools, monasteries and churches. Many of the key years associated with Saint Patrick have been lost to time, according to American Catholic.org. But something that is far less nebulous is the legends that surround him. There was no driving of the snakes out of Ireland, just as there was no use of the shamrock to explain the Trinity, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. These stories are very much fiction. But the religious services, feasts and celebrations that have emerged since that time on or around March 17 are very much an outgrowth of Patrick's faith and service.

McEniry and his family like to feast on the traditional corned beef and cabbage or Lenten staples like smoked salmon and fish and chips. Of course, he said, a meal would not be complete without a "fermented beverage," also known as a good Irish Stout. The holiday also would not be complete without attending Mass, watching either a live show or movie along the lines of River Dance and going to a parish hall after the big parade to feast one's eyes on Irish bands, bagpipe groups and Irish step dancers.

"I'm Irish enough the other 364 days of the year," said Larry Doyle, when asked about his St. Pat's celebrations of choice.

As indicated by Doyle's response, he prefers to keep low key the day of. Doyle, who heads up the Sarpy AOH, is certainly on to something.

Though McEniry said the St. Patrick's Day Parade is a "highlight" most of the service activities go on throughout the rest of the year, and do not revolve around the March holiday at all.

"We support the Omaha Stephen Center Emergency Shelter with meals, a Christmas party and contributions," he said. "Our Sarpy County AOH chapter in the past has collected over 1,100 rosaries and books from parishes for our troops in Iraq, and donated books on Irish history and culture to various parish schools and Bellevue and Papillion Public Libraries."

In addition, the Sarpy chapter teams up with the Omaha Father Flanagan chapter to support parish schools and the Catholic Academy through fundraisers.

For more information on Irish groups and Irish events visit www.irishomaha.com.

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